Improvement in burners for hydrocarbon fluids



sums smamu A man man FLUID BURNER PATENTED" DEC 1711867 j w%" W T Essa UNITED STATES RUFUS S. MERRILL, OF BOSTON, ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF AND WM. GARLETON,

PATENT OFFICE.

OF OHARLESTOWN, MASSACHUSETTS.

IMPROVEMENT IN BURNERS FOR HYDROCARBON FLUIDS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 72,414, dated December 17, 1867.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, RUFUS S. MERRILL, of Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Burners for Hydrocarbon Fluids; and I hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being bad to tho accompanying drawings.

The object of my invention is to remove one of the principal causes by which the explosion of lamps for burning hydrocarbon fluids is 00- casioned.

1n ordinary burners the deflector, chimneyholder, and all the parts more immediately in contact with the flame are placed directly upon and united to the burner. The consequence is that the base of the burner which closes the fluid-reservoir becomes highly heated, so as to volatilize in a degree the fluid, and the gas thus generated passes out through the aperture usually found in the lamp-cap, or at the point where the rack and pinion for adjusting the wick are located, and gathers around the wick-tube in the open space within the burner, where it is liable at any moment'to become ignited and communicate the flame to the fluid contained in the lamp. The ordinary and almost universal way of extinguishing the flame in these lamps is by blowing down through the chimney. The flame, when thus blown upon, is frequently forced down within the deflector and along the wick-tube until it is brought in contact with the highly-inflammable vapor which issues from the fluid-reservoir, as just explained, or is generated from the fluid which is discharged from the wick upon the wicktube, and, being ignited by the flame, often sets on fire and causes the consequent explosion of the fluid in the lamp. Lamp explosions from this cause are of almost daily occurrence, and frequently occasion the loss of life or serious injury of the person or persons standing near.

In order to completely obviate these evils two things are requisite. First, those parts of the burner-such as the deflector and chimney and receiver or holder-which are in the immediate neighborhood of the flame must be removed and separated as far as possible from the base of the burner in order to prevent the latter from becoming unduly heated; and, secondly, the lower part of the burner and wick tube, where the vapor issues from the reservoir or the volatilized fluid which exudes from the wick is collected, must be covered or closed,

so that if in blowing out the flame it should be forceddown through the upper part of the;

burner the cover on the base will prevent it from being brought into contact with and igniting such vapor or volatilized fluid.

The object of my invention is to unite these requisites in a burner; and to this end it consists essentially of the combination, with the base of the burner when provided with a cap which incloses and .covers the. orifices formed in the base and in the lower part of the wicktube, of the deflector and chimney-holder, and 1 other parts in the immediate neighborhood of the flame, mounted upon or attached to the wick-tube at a point above the covered base,

The free circulation of air, which the space in-- tervening between the two portions of the burner admits of, keeps the base cool, and also prevents the wick'adjusting pinion and rod from becoming unduly heated which has been a source of frequent annoyance to all who have used kerosene or other hydrocarbon fluid lamps.

To enable those skilled in the art to understand and use my invention, I will now proceed to describe the manner in which the same is or may be carried into effect by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 represents, in vertical section, a

hydrocarbon-fluid burner constructed in accordance with my invention; and Fig. 2 is a like section of a modified form of the same.

A represents the base of the burner, which is screwed into the ordinary cap B, attached to the top of the lamp. The base A carries the wick-tube a, which is provided with the usual wick-adjusting pinion b, the pinion-shaft 0 passing out through the side of the base A. The base A, as is well known, has one or more openings formed in its bottom, communicating with the fluid-reservoir, so as to supply the necessary quantity of airto replace thefluid which is evaporated or consumed. Through these openings, as well as from the orifice f, formed in the wick-tube, to allow the pinidns to operate on the wick, the volatilized fluid escapes, giving rise to the dangerhereinbefore alluded to, and in the ordinary burner the base A becomes heated to such a degree as to considerably raise the temperature of the fluid in the reservoir at times, thus accelerating the vaporization of such fluid and increasing the volume of the gas which collects in theupper part of the reservoir andissues therefrom, as above explained. In order to obviate as far as possible these difficulties and to shut off all communication between the flame and the gases and volatilized fluid, I apply to the base of the burner above the point where the pinions b are located, a cap or cover, which fits closely around the wick-tube and over the sides of the base. This cover should be perfectly tight, so that the only point at which the air can enter, which is to be supplied to the fluid-reservoir, is through the orifice formed in the sides of the base for the support of the pinion-shaft (J. A groove, :0, is sunk or formedin the cap, into which the fluid which escapes from the wick and passes down the sides of the wicktuheiscollected. Asmallorificeor perforation, formed in the cap at any point in the line of the groove, allows the fluid thus collected to pass through the cap, and thence through the perforations in the bottom of the base back into the fluid-reservoir. The wick-tube a extends some distance above the cap g, and has mounted upon it the other portions of the burner, consisting of the deflector h and the chimney receiver or holder it, which are combined in any ordinary or suitable manner. The chimney-holder carries the ordinary diaphragm, l, (which may be either wire-gauze or a perforated metal plate,) the lower end of which is drawn in, so as to fit closely around the wick-tube.

In Fig. 2 the diaphragm l is solderedor otherwise firmly and immovably attached to the tube at a point considerably above the cover once g of the base. The two portions of the burner, while held in their proper relations to each other upon the wick-tube, are thus in effect entirely separated and disconnected from each other. Whatever vapor or gas is contained within the baseis prevented from reaching the flame by means of the cover 9, while if the flame, when being blown out, should be forced'down along the tube and through the diaphragm, it will strike against the cover and will thus be kept from communication with the fluid-reservoir. At the same time the open space which intervenes between the upper and lower portions of the burner, by affording a free circulation of air around the base and wicktube, causes the heat generated by the flame to be dissipated before it can reach the base.

. In Fig. 1 the diaphragm or perforated plate 1, instead of being attached to the wick-tube, is secured to a sleeve, m, which slides upon the tube, being held in position upon the same by means of a frictionsp'ring, a, between the sleeve and tube. The sleeve may be kept from descending too far upon the tube by means of studs or projections formed ata suitable point upon the exteriorof the wick'tubempon which the lower end of the sleeve will rest. The sleeve may of course be used either with or without the spring n. By using the latter, however, the sleeve may be adjusted and held at any desired point upon the wick-tube with relation to the wick. The sleeve is constructed in the manner well known to those skilled in the art to which my invention pertains, so as to leave on each side of the tube passage .0, through which air is drawn up to the flame, serving at the same time to cool the wick-tube.

I much prefer to make the burner as shown in Fig. 1, for, in addition to the advantages already enumerated, it possesses the additional advantage of being readily slipped off or withdrawn from the wick-tube whenever it is required to trim the wick or clean the lamp.

Having now described my invention and the manner in which the same is or may be carried into effect, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A burner for hydrocarbon fluids, in which the base or lower portion, when provided with a cap which covers or ineloses the apertures leading to the fluid-reservoir, is combined with the deflector and chimney-holder of the said burner mounted upon the wick-tube, substantially in the manner herein set forth, and for the purposes specified.

2. The combination, with the wick-tube and capped or covered base of the burner, of the chimney-holder, deflector, and sleeve fitting upon said wick-tube at a point above said covered base, under the arrangement herein shown and described.

3. The combination, with the wick-tube and the sleeve which carries the deflector and chimney-holder, of the friction-spring for holding said sleeve upon the tube, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereofl have signed myname to this specification before two subscribing witnesses.

RUFUS S. MERRILL. Witnesses:

W. BAILEY, A. POLLOK. 

